Reflection in a Bright Shop Window
by LongSnakeMoan
Summary: Written for the Iron Chef: Funhouse Mirror Time (AU Crossovers with Canon), in this sort of follow up to 'It Felt Like A Kiss' Jane Lane, accepted into the college of her dreams and looking forward to leaving Lawndale, meets a version of herself who took another road in life.


**A/N: The background and explanation to the events in this story can be found in my fic 'It Felt Like A Kiss' in case you wonder 'how did it come to this?' **

Her reflection flitted between shop windows, lingering briefly in each one as she paused to see what was new before moving on. The acceptance letter to BFAC was folded tightly into her pocket, her hand clasped around. Jane rarely let it too far out her sight. It was the only way that she could be certain that this wasn't some dream that she would suddenly be wrenched from and would wake up trapped in Lawndale with no hope of escape. No hope in general. As she wound her way down Dega Street peered into the windows of the curiosity stores and the little boutiques selling all sorts of interesting and not so interesting crap, little refuges from the chain stores and mass fashion that seemed to be swallowing the rest of Lawndale whole. She hoped they held out against the tide. Midway down she paused for a moment in front of the vintage fashion store, the same one where she had sold all those old dresses after the final fight with Nathan. What an asshole that guy was, if she never saw him again it would be too soon. Jane scanned the windows and pressed her nose up against the window looking to see if any of her stuff was left and hoped whoever bought them had better memories of wearing it than she had. She pulled back away from the window ready to move on and nearly keeled over with the shock that went through her.

Her reflection in the shop window was her, but not her. The woman reflected in the shop window was a few years older, late twenties maybe. Instead of her usual red shirt, black shorts and boots she wore a beautiful fifties sea green dress tightly nipped in at the waist before flowing out wide, a white scarf on her neck and a pair of heels so high Jane had no idea how she was still standing. Jane's look of shock was mirrored on her reflection's face and both gave each other a slow once over, taking in every inch of difference and marvelling at the similarties. This was so weird. With every movement she made the reflection followed suit. Pushing her hair behind her ears, doing a little jump, wiggling her body all over made no difference as her reflection mirrored it. Jane decided to play her trump card and fumbled in her pockets for her BFAC letter. She pulled the letter out and held it in her hand tightly, smirking as for the first time her reflection's movements didn't match her own due to her lack of pockets. This may have be the freakiest thing that had ever happened to her but no reflection gets one over on the living breathing Jane Lane.

Her reflection stared at the paper and pointed at it before pushing her hands against the window. It took a few more repeats of this movement for Jane to realise that the reflection wanted to see what it was. She shot a few glances down Dega Street making sure nobody was looking to see what the crazy lady was doing before unfolding her acceptance letter and pushing it against the window and left it there for a moment or so, giving the reflection time to read it. As she returned her letter to her pocket she saw her reflection was smiling brightly but within the smile there was something else, even as she gave Jane the thumbs up. The reflection opened her bag and pulled a photograph, pen and paper from within and pushed the photo against the window for Jane to see. It was of a little girl and boy, the girl with black pigtails and dark eyes and the little boy with brown hair and her own bright blues, both with gappy big grins. Jane felt an unexplained rush of love and affection for them that almost overwhelmed her and tried to take the picture but of course she couldn't. It was a reflection. The photo was taken too soon and she let out a small groan at the loss as her reflection scribbled something on a piece of paper and held it against the window.

_Their names are Ava and Sammy. They are the reason I wake up every morning._

The message was taken away and replaced by another photo, this time of her in a breathtakingly beautiful ivory wedding dress, looking about her age now, almost laughing with happiness. She looked beautiful, Jane doubted she would ever look as good as she did in this photo and her gaze slid across to the groom. And there was Nathan, looking gorgeous in one of his well cut suits like he'd just stepped out of an old Hollywood movie. The man was an idiot, but he was a good looking idiot and they made a very striking couple. Her reflection withdrew that picture too, stuffing it back into her bag, and wrote something else on the back of the piece of paper from the before holding it up into the window for Jane to read.

_I hope you got away from him._

Jane looked up puzzled at the message and recoiled in horror away from the window at what was staring back at her. The reflection's right eye was swollen and bruised the darkest purple and her lips were split and sore. The reflection moved her white scarf away from her neck and tilted her head so Jane could see the faint yellow bruises that so clearly came from someone's fingers. Vomit began to rise in Jane's throat and she gazed, repulsed but transfixed. Surely Nathan wasn't doing this to her. He couldn't be that kind of guy. The reflection looked away, down whatever street she was in and when she returned to look at Jane she was perfect again. She held Jane's look for another second as she mouthed 'good luck' and walked away towards the next shop window.

"Don't go. Wait."

It took Jane three strides to reach the next window and found her reflection as she was staring back at her. For half a second she considered yelling for help or calling the police to report it but then logic kicked in and the only services who would be called out would be the men in white coats. All she could do was walk away and forget about it. And hope.


End file.
